ubject, ex-police agents and their kind, are authorities whose word is
worth a very limited acceptance. It is pretty sure that there were more
plots than the public ever knew of, and that in some cases the plotters
were disposed of summarily. Most of them were poor, ignorant creatures,
but in January 1858 an attempt was made by a man of an entirely
different stamp, Felice Orsini.

Born at Meldola in Romagna in 1819, he was of the true Romagnol type
in mind and body; daring, resourceful, intolerant of control. From his
earliest youth all his actions had but one object, the liberation of
his country. His youthful brain was enflamed by Alfieri and Foscolo,
who remained his favourite authors. He hated Austria well, and he
hated the Papal government as no one but one of its own subjects could
hate it. 'When the French landed in Italy' (he told his judges) 'it
was hoped that they were come as friends, but they proved the worst of
enemies. For a time they were repulsed, then they resumed the cloak of
friendship, but only to wait for reinforcements. When these arrived
they returned to the assault, a thousand against ten, and we were
judicially assassinated.' A succinct and true narrative.

During the republic Orsini was sent to Ancona, where anarchy had
broken out; by vigorous measures he restored perfect order. In 1854 he
was arrested in Hungary and condemned to death, but he escaped from
Mantua under romantic circumstances and reached England, where the
story of his audacious flight won for him many sympathisers. He was
often seen in society. On one occasion he was asked to meet Prince
Lucien Buonaparte. Orsini knew Mazzini, but he was impatient of his
mystical leanings, and he disapproved of such enterprises as
Pisacane's, by which, as he thought, twenty or thirty men were
sacrificed here or there without anything coming of it. He finally
repudiated Mazzini's leadership, and in March 1857 he wrote to Cavour,
asking him for a passport to return to Italy, and placing at the
disposal of the Sardinian government 'the courage and energy which it
had pleased God to give him,' provided that government left wavering
behind, and showed its unmistakable will to achieve the independence
of Italy. Cavour sent no reply, 'because,' he said later, 'the letter
was noble and energetic, and I should have had to pay Orsini
compliments which I did not deem fitting. 'Unlike Victor Emmanuel, who
in after years carried on regular negotiations wit